◆ Pacific League Nippon-Ham 5-4 Seibu Lions (16th, Escon Stadium)

Seibu Lions, who had been performing well, were hit by an accident.

After pitching well Kaima Taira pitcher against Nippon-Ham on the 15th for 2 hit no runs in 7 innings and winning his third game, he was removed from the roster. Also, about 2 hours before the start of the game, Chihiro Sumida pitcher who was scheduled to start that day felt discomfort in his left shoulder, so the announced starter was changed to Sou Sato pitcher.

After the game, manager Nishiguchi emphasized that Sumida's injury was minor, saying, "It's not that bad. It's just that it's a little different than usual, he feels a bit stiff, so we won't push him too hard." He added, "I think he'll be able to play normally next week, sometime on the weekend."

Sumida said, "I was told not to go because I don't usually go out before matches. I was able to go, though. I went for a checkup today and there was nothing wrong."

Regarding Taira, the manager said, "We're going to put him in top form for the first game of the interleague series," indicating that he intends to use him in the first game of the interleague series when he's in the best condition.